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>linnecotah 



An Indian Legend of Lake 
Kampeska 



By Thomas McNeill Illustrated 



COPYRIGHTgP 1908. BYT. MCNEILL 



Minnecotah. 



An Indian Legend of Lake 
Kampeska 



By Thomas McNeill Illustrated 



COPYRIGHTED 1908. BYT. MCNEILL 



LIBRARY of OOl^aKESS 

TwoCopiM Kecetvii^ 

JAN 29 1908 



COPY B. / 



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MINNECOTAH 



Minnecotah, the hunter's daughter, 
Lived upon the great wide prairies, 
By the shores of Mirror Water, 
On the banks of Lake Kampeska; 
Once there came in early springtime, 
To the hunter's cabin lonely. 
Many braves and many squaw men, 
Many women and papooses. 
Many dogs and many ponies, 
Came to shoot the roaming bison 
As he drank the clear, cold water, 
Came to hunt the deer called Fleetfoot, 
As he ran among the bushes. 
Came to catch the sturgeon, Nahma. 
As he leaped and slowly floated 
On the surface of the water. 
In the pretty Lake Kampeska. 

As the Indians said their "How-hows," 
To the hunter, Big Long Rifle, 
From the cabin came his daughter, 
Came his daughter, Minnecotah, 
Bringing peace pipe and tobacco. 
Came the Faun, his only daughter 
Bringing words of cheerful welcome. 
Then in words and many signals 
Told the braves they were all welcome, 
Told the squaw men they could garner 
In the fields about Kampeska; 



MINNECOTAH 



Told the women and the children. 
All were welcome to Kampeska, 
To the shores of Mirror Water. 

Then Long Rifle spake unto them, 
Spake and lighted he the peace pipe. 
Smoked awhile in intense silence. 
And in silence passed it onward; 
And the chiefs in turn each smoked it, 
Till all had by this grave token 
Said they wished to live in good will, 
Live in peace with all their neighbors, 
Live together as one family 
On the shores of Mirror Water, 
On the banks of Lake Kampeska. 

In the springtime, time of planting 
In the summer warriors hunting, 
In the autumn came the feast time. 
Came the feast time of Mondamin, 
Of Mondamin, gift from Heaven, 
From the Manitou, the Mighty, 
To our chieftain, Hiawatha, 

At the feast. Pretty Fawn, the maiden, 
Came and went as did the children 
Of the chiefs and of the sachems, 
Came and went, nor thought of trouble. 
Came and went, until the last day 
When the squaw men packed the tepees 
For the journey to the westward, 
For the journey to the timber. 
For to go to winter quarters 
In the shadow of the pine trees, 
In the shelter of the hemlocks. 



MINNECOTAH 



In the valleys of the mountains, 
Safe from Kabibineka's anger. 

During all the time in summer, 
Many braves vied with each other, 
Strove to do great deeds of valor. 
Strove to throw great stones the farther 
For the favor of the maiden. 
For the smiles she cast upon them. 
For the words of praise she gave them 
For the spells she wove about them ; 
All this for Long Rifle's daughter 
All this done for Minnecotah, 
On the banks where sang the thrushes. 
On the margin lined witn rushes. 
On the shores of Lake Kampeska. 

When the lodge's poles were lowered, 
When the corn was dry for moving, 
When the horses all were loaded 
For their long, long journey westward, 
For their journey toward the sunset. 
For their march across the prairies; 
Many braves sought out the maiden. 
Asked her to go on this journey 
As the sweetheart, as the helpmeet, 
For to grind the corn and make it 
Into cakes and other dainties, 
For to live within the wigwam 
And to mind the arms and ponies. 

Minnecotah this answer made them. 
Made it unto them in jesting. 
Made this answer to her lovers 
"Unto him who in Kampeska 
Throws the stones now on its margin, 



MINNECOTAH 



Throws the farthest from the elm tree, 

Throws without the sling of leather, 

Home with him I'll journey westward, 

To his home among the mountains. 

There to live and keep his wigwam 

"With him live and bear him children, 

"Who when grown great hunters may be, 

"Who may shoot just like my father, 

"Who may come back here in summer 

Come to fish in Mirror "^^ater. 

Come to row in Lake Kampeska. 

"When the warriors heard her answer 

"When they heard what she had told them. 

When her words had sunk to silence, 

Each one to himself then boasted, 

"I can throw beyond the others, 

"I can win the pale faced maiden, 

"I can win the Minnecotah." 

In the future each saw her weaving, 

"Weaving willow mats and baskets, 

Saw her making loaves of corn bread, 

Saw her cooking o'er the camp fire. 

Saw her in his home at evening 

As she skinned the deer shot by him 

As she stretched and tanned the deer skin, 

And made shoes out of its leather. 

Not a word was said but fiercely 

Each one glared upon his neighbor. 

Till their eyes glowed in their sockets. 

Till their veins stood out like whip cords, 

And the silence was oppressive. 

And their looks grew dark with passion, 

And their hands were clenched in anger, 

Then the old men, the peacemakers 



MINNECOTAH 



§)aid "The Fawn speaks to you fairlj ^ 
•Bids you all be brave strong warriors, 
Tells you one must odt-throw the otlierfi 
For the honor of his wigwam 
For the hand of Minnecotah, 
For the«nighty hunter's daughter 
For the queen of Lake Kampeska. 
With their war cry, loud, resentful, 
To the lakeside all went running. 
Anxious for the coming conteS'fc, 
Anxious for the great stone throwing. 
Three old men were chosen judges. 
Three old men who'd outgrown passion. 
Three great men whose deeds of daring- 
•Oft were told beside the oampflre, 
Sung abroad b3'' great war parties, 
Told to make the young men braver 
These old men were all great warriors 
Who in councils had much prestige, 
These great men were chosen judges 
To decide which great warrior 
Was to wed the Hunter's daughter; 
In canoes out in Kampeska, 
There the judges took their places 
Took their places and then signalled 
To the young men on shore waiting, 
To the young warm blooded warriors. 
That to each a turn was. given, 
Given a chance to cast the round stone 
Outward in the Mirror Water 
For the hand of Minnecotah, 
Fairest maid of Lake Kampeska. 
All day long the warriors threw stones, 
Threw great stones in Lake Kampeska, 



MINNECOTAH 



Tlirew until all were exhausted. 
On the white and stony beaches, 
Till they could no longer see where 
Fell the stones cast by the warriors. 
Till the night let down its curtains, 
Closed the windows of the sunset, 
And the stars like soldiers marching 
With bright shields and burnished hel- 

uiets 
Took their places on guard duty 
To hold back the evil spirits 
From the couches of the warriors 
On the cold and stony beaches. 
Then the lovers waited, rested, 
Rested only for the morrow. 
Slept not but in passion dreaming 
Of his victory on the morrow 
When the curtains of the night time 
Would uplift and let the daylight 
Through the windows of the morning. 
When the first gray ghosts of morning 
Silent walked across the prairies 
From the eastward to the westward. 
From the daylight toward the darkness. 
From the great sun, warming, burning, 
To the realm of dew and misting, 
All the braves were up for battle, 
All were ready for the conflict. 
All were waiting for the signal 
For the great round stone throwing 
For the hand of Minnecotah, 
For the Hunter's pretty daughter. 
Thus for three days waged thej' battle, 
Ne'er before was seen such conflict, 



MINNECOTAH 



Never haa been told in story 

Of such prowess and such throwing; 

Solid rocks were burst asunder, 

Mighty rocks of sand and pipestone 

From their berths in earth uplifted 

Cast away and swiftly falling 

With a plunge cast spray upon them. 

Made great waves which rolled and eddied 

Overturned the waiting judges, 

Threw them over in the water 

Thus they could not say which warrior 

Cast the rock from shore the farthest 

In the waters of Kampeska 

In the waves of Mirror Water. 

So they could not say which warrior 

Won the hand of Minnecotah. 

Gradually up from the bosom 

Of the fair Kampeska water 

Rose a pile of stones and higher 

Kose the water of the lakelet. 

Rose until it o'er flowed the margin 

Driving back the toiling throwers, 

Drove them back, with anger blinded, 

Drove them back with hearts a-burning 

From the beach where lay the round stones 

From the contest half completed. 

From the hand outstreched to greet him 

Who should throw a stone the farthest 

Out into the crystal water 

Out into Lake Kampeska, 

When the old man saw the anger 

On the faces of the young men. 

Saw the bitterness and the hatred 

Each one had toward all the others, 



MINNECOTAH 



Saw that evil strife was threatened 
Unless something cooled their anger, 
Seized the maiden, Minnecotah, 
Out into the lake they took her. 
On the pile of stones they placed her, 
On the stones thrown by the warriors, 
Telling her unless some warrior 
She would wed of their election 
She should on this little island- 
Made by castings of her lovers- 
Stay until her flesh was withered, 
Stay until she died of hunger, 
Died of hunger on the island 
Made of stones the braves had thrown there 
On the isle in Mirror Water, 
On the island in Kampeska. 
How the Fawn lived on this island, 
How her life was spared each evening, 
By the Manitou, the Mighty, 
How the food was brought unto her. 
By the Manitou, the Mighty, 
Is a tale that's oft repeated 
By the campfires, in the wigwams 
Of the Indians, now gone westward 
To the wildlands of the mountains 
Where the deer and bear are many, 
Where the trout leaps in the water 
As it falls and tumbles downward 
From the melting snows of springtime: 
It is told sometimes in sadness 
By the braves who once.contested. 
For the maid, Long Rifle's daughter 
On the banks of Lake Kampeska, 
On the shores of Mirror Water. 



MINNECOTAH 



When the night let down its curtains. 
Closed the windows of the sunset, 
Hid the island in the water 
From the watchers on the mainland, 
Then the Manitou, the Mighty, 
Sent unto the isle some fishes- 
Blinded for a time it seemed so— 
Drove them to the stony island 
Held them there for Minnecotah, 
Held them there until the lone one 
Caught and slyly hid about her 
Several fishes for the morrow. 
For her hunger on the morrow, 
When the hours seemed the longest 
For the Fawn, the hunter's daughter, 
As she lived upon the island 
In the center of the water 
In the waters of Kampeska. 

Minnecotah had a lover 
Who had gone unto the sunset. 
There to seek for gold and silver 
E'er he took her to his log house. 
E'er he married Minnecotah. 
Many moons since he had left her 
Circled thru and still he tarried, 
Many moons had passed between thetn 
Yet she waited for her lover 
Who was far out to the westward. 
At this time while coming homeward 
With his pack well filled with silver 
And a precious bag of gold dust. 
Heard he rumors of her trouble 
Heard her life was great imperilled 



MINNECOTAH 



By a death of slow starvation 
On the island in the water, 
By the Indians surrounded 
In the center of an island 
In Kanipeska's crystal water. 

Swiftly home across the prairies 
Kushed her lover, fiercely chiding. 
Blamed himself for all her trouble^ 
Moaned in anguish at her peril 
Till he reached the fair Dacotahs 
vSaw the gleaming of the waters 
Saw the island, saw the Indians 
Saw the maiden, sitting lonely 
On the stones sat Minnecotah, 
Sat the pale faced hunter's daughter. 
Creeping slowly to the margin 
Saw the guards and then the campfires* 
Saw the birch canoes and paddles, 
Noted that he could get to them. 
Made his plans the Fawn to rescue. 
Bear her off all in the night time 
To his lodge among the timber 
Far, far from the haunts of Indians- 
Leaving them to guess and murmur 
At the Minnecotah's disappearance. 

When the night time was the darkest 
When the campfires burned the brightest, 
When the laugh andjest were lightest, 
Forth he stole from 'neath the elm tree. 
On the margin oi Kampeska, 
Launched the light canoe of birch bark 
Paddled to his sweetheart waiting, 
Bore her off into the darkness, 



MINNECOTAH 



Took her far from Lake Kainpeska 
'From the Indians who iiad loved her 
From the place of her great peril 
From the island in the center 
Of the pleasant Mirror Water, 
Took the hunter's only daughter 
From the shores of Lake Kanipeska, 

In the morning when th« watchers 

Oazing ovit across the waters 

Saw no more the Minnecotah 

•Saw no more the hunter's daughter 

Saw no more the Favvn a-weeping, 

Loud they wailed in consternation, 

High above the cry of eagle 

Rose their cry of lamentation. 

Then the wisemen smoked and whispered, 

"She has gone across the river 

To the white-face, Great- All-Father, 

To the place of song and laughter 

In the land of the Hereafter. 

Straightway from the fair Kampeska, 

Silent went the sorrowing people 

To the land far to the westward 

To the haunts of deer and bison 

In the shelter of the pine trees 

In the wild lands of the mountains. 

Never since have come these warriors 

In the time of budding flowers 

To the shores of Lalre Kampeska ; 

For the spirit of the maiden 

Of the Fawn, the hunter's daughter. 

Of the fairest Minnecotah 



MINNECOTAH 



Hangs and broods above the water. 
Whispers in the elmtree branches 
Sobs and cries among the bushes 
On the margin of Kampeska. 

Yes her voice is heard by lovers 
Who are on the lake at sunset, 
Who are walking in the shadows 
Of the sighing moaning elmtrees. 
Who are idly tossing pebbles 
In the waters of Kampeska. 

To the skeptic, to the doubter, 
Let me speak a word of warning 
E'er you say "Tis idle chatter" 
E'er you taunt, '"Tis only squaw talk' 
E'er you murmur "It is nothing 
Nothing more than leaves a-rustling 
Nothing more than waves a-lapping 
On the pebbles, or the branches 
Clashing one against the other." 
Let me say '"Tis Minnecotah 
Telling all to not be triflers 
For in trifling there is trouble 
Such as happened in the old time 
On the isle in Mirror Water 
In the lake of Fair Kampeska." 
If you doubt my story children. 
Go and look out from the margin 
Look and see where Minnecotah 
Sat and wept upon the island 
Isle of stones in Lake Kampeska 
In the land of great wide prairies 
By the lake called Mirror Water. 



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